Hurricanes, cyclones, and typhoons (collectively “Tropical Storms”) are names for the same atmospheric phenomenon. Their different names indicate the ocean basins in which they occur. On average each year, six major hurricanes form in the Atlantic and northeastern Pacific Ocean, sixteen major typhoons form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, and five major cyclones form in the south Pacific or Indian Ocean. Collectively, these Tropical Storms create a twelve-month meteorological phenomenon that affects approximately 40 million people. In the last 20 years, Tropical Storms have collectively caused $1.1 trillion of damage and over 800,000 fatalities. Early and accurate forecasts of rapid intensification can prevent property damage and save lives.
Ocean buoys are data-collecting devices often placed at geographical lattice points or on oil rigs to measure key meteorological data. Buoy data is used to aid in the computation of storm intensity at the surface of the ocean, but stationary buoys are currently arranged arbitrarily relative to any given hurricane's path and thus might not collect data in regions of the storm that are most predictive of intensity. Drone buoys and an method to position them may provide greater data relevancy and more potential for early warning than the current arrangement of stationary buoys.